single-minded
Americanadjective
-
having or showing a single aim or purpose.
a single-minded program.
-
dedicated; resolute; steadfast.
He was single-minded in his concern for truth.
- Synonyms:
- firm, inflexible, persevering, determined
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of single-minded
First recorded in 1570–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although many prodigies are single-minded about their craft, Miles excelled in two sports in high school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Parents who have watched their children cycle through different hobbies, whether it’s crafting friendship bracelets or concocting homemade slime, will recognize the single-minded fervor that has overtaken the students of Class 203.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Stubborn, single-minded and tireless, lionized and controversial, the Los Angeles water boss was 72.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
A former star student and long-distance runner from a prominent family in Amarillo, Texas, Griffin goes into her first session with a competitor’s single-minded determination to, as she writes, “get to the finish line.”
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
The star-flooded nights, the dew-soaked dawns, the hushed ambulatories, the enforced asceticism—never has Werner felt part of something so single-minded.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
